A Mother's Journey Through Grief

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Once a social butterfly, I am now a solitude seeker. The shift didn’t happen overnight. It was a slow progression, but I do know the process began just after Bella was born. Colic has that affect on a person. The constant crying was torture and she was literally in my arms close to 24 hours a day. If she fell asleep, she would wake the second I put her down. I learned fast that all my baby girl wanted was to be in my arms. She slept with me, in my arms, her entire life. I would have given just about anything for 5 minutes to myself.
I began recognizing the importance of my time alone when I started coming back from my dark days. I don’t talk about this experience much but I went through a depression in my early days as a single mom. It wasn’t until I started setting time aside for myself that I was able to break through the darkness. It was about learning to love and respect myself and make myself a priority. You can’t take proper care of anyone unless you take care of yourself first!
I started with a nightly ritual of a “calming” bath with candles and essential oils. Some nights I was only able to enjoy a few minutes to myself before Bella would wake up and start screaming, but that was better than nothing. It didn’t take long for me to look forward to this “me” time and within a few weeks I began to notice changes. I was finally taking care of myself and it was paying off.
Sometimes we don’t understand the importance of something until we are without it. I have been feeling the effects of my busy schedule and haven’t had much time alone since I came home from Maui. This week has especially been challenging and my “cranky” side came out tonight so I decided I needed to make myself a priority. Sometimes, everything else can wait! I feel better for it already!
The next time you are feeling overwhelmed, ask yourself when was the last time you had a moment to yourself to relax, unwind and recharge your batteries. Remember to make time for yourself. You will appreciate it and the people around you will thank you for it too. 😉